The Weight Of The World
by Soxman
Summary: In canon, young Naruto Uzumaki was a carefree prankster who took nothing seriously. But after the events of one hectic day, no longer can he feel safe and secure. His enemies are coming for him, and all he knows is that the clock is ticking...


AN: Like _The Fox And The Medic-Nin_, I am just putting this fic out there as something I might, someday do. I was inspired by The Pro's _Patriot's Dawn_, and if you've read that, the inspiration should be clear. If you haven't it, it is definitely worth a read. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and I don't own Naruto.

Prologue: In The Heat Of The Night

It had been a stressful couple of days. Which was to say that the patience of the Uchiha, and all its members, like Hasumo Uchiha, had been stretched to the brink. Negotiations with the village were on the verge of failure, and you didn't have to sit in Fugaku Uchiha's presence to know what failure meant. The entire clan knew what it meant, and many of the more militant elders were seemingly in support of it. Naturally, such a situation had a very sobering and stressing effect on all involved, Hasumo included.

He had been born more than a decade before the Kyuubi attack. Growing up, he had placed near the top of the class, but had not had the recognition heaped upon him like his cousin Itachi had. And there was really nothing exceptional to speak of when looking over his career as a ninja. He was just a standing soldier in the Hokage's army, and during peacetime, like now, one of the many put in charge of patrolling the village and constraining lawlessness. They had long since taken over the job from the Anbu, after the Hokage reorganized security a few years back after the Hyūga Affair. But… if that were to change, if negotiations broke down, then he was with his clan through and through. If Fugaku… if negotiations broke down, he, just like the rest of the clan, would be ready to do what needed to be done. But until then… he had work to do. And… yes, a flicker of movement, he brushed his brown hair out of his eyes just to make sure, and standing there was the blonde menace to society.

"Put the paint down!" He ordered sternly. The blond Kyuubi container froze. "I said, put the paint down!" He repeated sternly. Slowly, the boy, if he even was still a boy, lowered the paint can to the ground. "Now turn around."

The blonde turned to face him. He shook his head in disgust at the boy in front of him. He and the rest of his clan had no idea what to make of the blonde. On the one hand, the legendary Madara Uchiha was said to have gained control over Kyuubi, and this was the result. And there were other Jinchuuriki scattered across the Elemental Nations. But on the other hand, they were in charge of keeping order, and the boy's mere presence incited panic. And if the legendary Kyuubi was said to have a trail of chaos and destruction in his wake… well, the boy was doing a bang-up imitation in human form. He personally was inclined to side with the members of his clan who regarded the boy as a nuisance, not a threat. But the law was the law, and now, it was his to execute.

Except his hands were tied. Hokage-sama had already set down certain rules for dealing with the blonde troublemaker. Restrictive rules. He couldn't do anything. Except… "Annoying little blonde brat!" He growled angrily. "Why aren't you in class?" After all, there had been a continuous political battle last year over whether to allow the blond to enter the Academy. And this is how he treated the Hokage's continual protection and support? With open scorn?

"It's so boring, and they hardly teach me anything there, and how can I be the Hokage when…," Hasumo quickly tuned out his whining. It was a very open secret that the boy got nothing of value out of the Academy. The Hokage may have been able to clamp down on other forms of discrimination against the blonde, but his persistent struggles with the Academy and its teachers were the equivalent of Whack-A-Mole. Stamp out one form of discrimination, and five others popped up, diverting his attention from other matters of village administration. Which made life harder for the rest of them, because when the blonde got bored, it was always an Uchiha sent to clean up the mess. But it didn't have to be so. As Fugaku-san had suggested, a private tutor would have been better for all involved, but the Hokage was having none of it. And here was the result of the Hokage's meddling. Thinking about how they had been relegated to mere errand boys by a stubborn old man set the Uchiha's blood boiling.

"Listen, you obstinate little blond menace," The boy might not have known the words, but he knew the tone. "If I catch you being a vandal again, I'll…" It may have looked like he was trying to intimidate the blonde, but he was really searching for something he could get away with, something still within the rules, "Talk to your pal Teuchi about getting you banned from Ichiraku." Yeah, like he could get away with that. But the blonde didn't know better.

The demon container gasped and threw himself at the man's feet. "No, please, Uchiha-san! Have mercy!" It was… a truly disgusting display. Of course, to the brown-haired Jounin, everything the blonde in front of him did was disgusting. Not that he could recognize that little bias.

"Get up and act like the Shinobi you're training to be, damnit!" He snarled angrily. He had been lowered to the level of dealing with a begging blonde boy he couldn't even legally touch. "The Hokage went out of his way to get you admittance to the Academy and-"

"But they don't teach me anything there and-!"

"Who would want to teach you!" He snarled angrily. The boy drew back like he had been slapped. "You run around, without a care for all others have done for you, spreading anarchy and chaos, disrupting people's peaceful lives! Why would anyone want to teach a spoiled, petulant little brat like you?" He snarled. He stared at the child furiously. "You will always be a nuisance and a failure, Uzumaki," He hissed lowly. And with that, he turned on his heel and angrily stomped off, needing a drink or something to relieve the immense tension and anger he felt.

Naruto stared after him angrily. It wasn't the first time he'd been called either. And the people saying it didn't understand. They were always ignorant of his situation. Was it his fault he had no clue what they were talking about at the Academy? They just assumed he was a failure… that he was worthless. Because they wouldn't teach him! And that bastard dared to…His fists balled. He'd been dealing with people like that all his life. And he'd since found the appropriate response. A small smile graced his face. Well, it looked like he'd found someone else who needed to be pranked into submission.

* * *

Naruto crept forward slowly, the cover of night and the stillness around him preventing him from being detected, even though his orange jumpsuit. Slowly, he made his way forward, one slow step at a time. In his pocket were an assortment of stink bombs, and a can of green spray-paint. Maybe the stupid Uchiha would think twice before insulting him. Another step, a slight turn, and the Uchiha compound in all its glory came within sight.

"ITACHI!" He heard a familiar voice bellow into the night. Wait, he knew that voice! What the hell was the teme doing? He heard a clang of metal on metal, and he crept forward slightly. Was Sasuke… yes, it looked like he was fighting with an older, more mature clone of him.

Itachi's head turned slightly away as he blocked his enraged brother's strike, and lashed out with one of his own. His brother's Sharingan faded away, though he still looked ready to fight. His orders were fulfilled. The clan was dead. He… he and Madara had seen to that. There was nothing left but wrap this up and flee. He wasn't going to kill his brother. Not for Danzo, not for anyone. If only there were a way he could conjure a proper excuse to- what was that? Where…there in the brush… was that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? What the hell was he doing here! Could he have… wait a second, that was perfect! And after he'd chatted with Danzo, yes… that would work.

Itachi blocked another of Sasuke's strikes before roughly backhanding him, which sent him sprawling to the ground. He kneeled over him triumphantly. "Goodbye, little brother," He whispered, hopefully loudly enough for the eavesdropper to hear, as he slowly placed the kunai against his fearful brother's neck.

The eavesdropper didn't disappoint. He came lunging out of the darkness, and charged Itachi with all his strength, knocking him away from his brother. Slightly. The Kyuubi container had poor stance and little strength to back up his attack.

Itachi regained his balance, and smashed a fist into Naruto's stomach after his woeful attempt to dodge failed. He quickly pulled back and moved past him, slamming him down to the ground, just like his brother, with a vicious backhand. But Naruto wasn't done yet. The second he hit the ground, he rolled away. "What the hell are you doing?" He snarled angrily.

Itachi remained silent. "HE KILLED THEM!" Sasuke shouted into the night as he struggled to get up, red, literally and figuratively, in his eyes, "MY CLAN!" Itachi swiftly decked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. Naruto turned while he was otherwise occupied, and promptly wished he hadn't. He could see the blood. He could see bodies a little past the doorway. Was that… that looked like the Anbu he'd encountered earlier! Dead? The guy was… Did the man in front of him really just…?

Itachi smirked cruelly. "Yes, Sasuke. All gone. A decent test," Naruto turned, staring at the man in shock. "Our worthless father, our insignificant mother, every bickering Aunt, every condescending uncle, every pretentious cousin. All gone," He finished in an ice cold whisper.

"You-" He could feel something welling up inside of him. Anger; hot bubbly anger. Sheer fury. The kind of rage he'd never known. Words weren't enough. He didn't notice the shroud of orange wrapped around him as his anger steadily grew. He didn't notice how his nails and teeth grew longer, his hair became spikier, his eyes red and slitted. Without another conscious thought, he charged at Itachi, moving far faster than he'd been initially.

Itachi quickly blocked his strike, feeling the burn of the malicious chakra. Hmm, troubling. He hadn't meant to push the Jinchuuriki over the edge. But it would, as he planned, make a great excuse for why his brother was alive. Naruto attacked again, another uncoordinated strike to his chest. Once again, the mere act of blocking him resulted in some serious pain. This fight was getting too dangerous.

Naruto leapt again, and Itachi dodged to his right. Naruto wheeled around, and Itachi locked eyes with him. "Tsukyomi." The whisper was enough. The world melted away around them, as he and Naruto appeared under a blood-tinted moon in a deserted clearing with Naruto chained to a rock. Itachi could feel the Kyuubi's power consciously fighting him, and he was losing badly. Contrary to popular belief, Biju chakra was just as good for fighting the illusion as a Sharingan was. He had mere seconds, probably the equivalent of ten minutes or so. If he was lucky.

"HOW COULD YOU KILL THEM ALL?" Naruto screamed hysterically. Not for the first time, Itachi silently felt the trying heavy price he had to pay to keep the village he loved safe. Not that the boy before him could know that. Itachi mentally debated repeating the lie he'd told Sasuke. On the one hand, it was a great cover, but on the other hand, he knew what the Kyuubi boy would face in a few years time. He knew where his new assignment would take him.

"My brother does not know this, but there are people," Madara, "People ready and willing to strike against Konoha." He stared at him levelly. The organization he had been ordered to infiltrate. Akatsuki. Perfect. The perfect cover. "The Uchiha clan would have gotten in the way."  
"IN THE WAY OF WHAT?" He shouted, still in hysterics.

"Getting to you," Itachi whispered coldly. Naruto stopped shouting and stared at him, his eyes going wide. "Do you know why the villagers hate you, Naruto? Why they glare at you as they walk past, or go out of their way to avoid you?" Naruto stared at him. "Come on now, you just used its power." Confusion. He hadn't realized… "When the Kyuubi No Yoko attacked the village twelve years ago, the Yondaime was unable to destroy it. So he did the next best thing. He sealed it away into a newborn baby. An unknown orphan child. You."

Naruto stared at him. "No. No. That- that can't be true. It- it's not possible," He sputtered. "I can't be-"

"You hold the Kyuubi, Naruto," Itachi said with a cruel smirk. "How else do you think you gained the power to fight me, just now?" Naruto remaining staring as his eyes widened in realization as he remembered. "Yes. You hold it. And… members of my organization are very interested in possessing it. Very interested. Those Akatsuki colleagues of mine." He paused; was that too much to reveal? "Know the name. Fear it," He whispered icily.

"Why-why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked, trembling against the rock.

Itachi smirked, doing his best impression of a dangerous missing-nin. He would need that a lot in the coming days. "Though my clan may have provided a worthy challenge, you… will be truly entertaining." He smirked. "A fox amongst the wolves. I'm simply making sure our little game won't be too simple." He walked forward calmly, though he knew Tsukyomi was going to end any second now. "We will be back for you," He whispered as the illusion fell away, and the real Naruto fell to the ground, unconscious. Itachi sighed and stared at the two unconscious boys in front of him. '_You… you will never know how sorry I am. Little Brother. Naruto_.' He thought silently. He stared at the blonde-haired boy's body. Yes, there was one last touch needed. To cement his cover. To protect the village. To… protect him. Finishing his grisly work, he allowed himself one second to reflect on his guilt before he turned swiftly. He had one last visit to pay before he left town.

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip. "Where-where am I?" Naruto whispered timidly as he slowly got to his feat. It looked like… a sewer? Yeah, he saw the dripping water, the ground felt rough beneath his sandals, the walls dark and edgy. It was a sewer. Why was he in a sewer? The last thing he remembered he… he was fighting Itachi!

"**No, you were losing to him. Only my power enabled you to fight him**," A rumbling voice forced Naruto to turn sharply and stare at a gigantic set of red eyes that were glaring angrily at him.

"You- you're Kyuubi!" Naruto gasped, stepped backwards and tripping into the wall. "Itachi- he was right!" He muttered. The eyes glared at him angrily, though there was something akin to sadistic amusement in his face.

"**Of course he was right. Those blasted Uchiha and their accursed eyes know everything**," Kyuubi snarled angrily. "**Or so they think. They don't know the hour when I'll finally be able to devour their worthless hides whole**."

"What are you talking about?" He muttered in shock.

"**Why do you think I'm here, boy? Those Uchiha interfered, and the result is my imprisonment**!" It snarled. A malicious smirk appeared. "**But, they're all dead now. Save a select few… including Madara**."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto repeated, with confusion slowly replacing shock.

"**Nothing that concerns you!"** It rumbled angrily. There was a tense pause. **"I heard about the Uchiha's threats. I heard how this organization desires to 'possess me'**," Naruto could hear the inflection in its tone. "**I will not be yoked not oppression once more**!" Another pause. "**I will not serve Madara ever again**."

"Who is Madara?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"**I wish to make a deal**," Kyuubi declared lowly, ignoring his question.

"Wh-what?"

"**I wish to make a deal**," Kyuubi repeated, angry that it even had to admit such a thing, especially to a lowly human.

"Y-you do?" Naruto stuttered. "Why?"

"**Because, the seal imprisoning me here connects my life to yours. You die, I die**," Kyuubi rumbled dramatically. "**And your probability of death just skyrocketed. Unless you have my help**."

"So… you are offering your help?" Naruto asked skeptically. He looked the gigantic orange fox up and down several times. "You… you are the mighty Kyuubi No Kitsune. Why do you need my help? And…" A thought sprang to his mind, "How can I even trust you?" He asked accusingly. "Why should I even trust you? You're the reason-"

"**Do shut up, you pathetic little monkey**," Kyuubi interrupted angrily. "**And don't remind me of my weakness. I would like nothing more than to rip the bars off this pathetic cage and devour you whole**," It spat. It took a breath. "**But I do need your aid. The Uchiha you just faced, Itachi… he works for another. I could sense the foul chakra rolling off of him. It leaves a strong impression, after all. He was close by, tonight. If he had joined the fray… we would not be having this conversation. He would end our existence in a second. And he's the reason I am trapped here**," Kyuubi hissed. "**I want him dead, and you shall kill him for me**."

"Why should I even listen to you?" Naruto hissed indignantly. "You're the reason the villagers hate me. So why should I?"

Kyuubi smirked. Naruto realized for the first time that the Demon Fox's smirk was truly scarier than its growl. "**Because I am offering you a deal. You agree to kill the mangy little pest Madara, and…**"

"And?" Naruto prompted reluctantly.

"**I offer you power beyond your comprehension**," Kyuubi replied.

"Uh huh. You offer me power?" Naruto repeated sarcastically. "Why don't I believe this?" His words did not reflect how scared he truly was though. Truthfully, the night's events had shaken him greatly.

"**Because you are a fool**," The fox hissed. "**You need my power. Especially when Itachi and his friends come back**." Naruto stiffened. "**Yes, you know they'll return someday soon. You need me**."

Naruto suddenly remembered being chained to the rock as Itachi slowly approached him. He gulped. He had no choice… not if he wanted to survive. "What are you offering?" He asked hesitantly.

"**My power. My chakra- much of which you already possess. My senses. My abilities. My wisdom**," Kyuubi rumbled quickly. "**And in return, you must kill him. I want the head of Madara Uchiha**."

Madara? Who was Madara? Did it matter? "Done," Naruto replied automatically, despite his subconscious doubts, despite his gnawing fears. He literally needed to make a deal with the devil if he wanted to survive.

"**Glad to hear it, Monkey. Now get out of my sight**," Kyuubi bellowed, and the sewer quickly faded from view as orange chakra engulfed Naruto. Orange was his entire view. He screamed silently, and then he knew no more.

* * *

Naruto awoke quite suddenly. At least, he thought he was awake. He couldn't see. And his head… oh, it felt like his entire body was on fire! And the last time he'd 'awoken', he'd had a chat with a gigantic Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. But he could… hear. At least he thought he was hearing.

"The operation was a success, Hokage-sama," Muttered a quiet voice near him.

"And he will recover?" Jiji asked quietly. Who will recover? From what? What was going on?

Silence. The kind of silence he'd always been uncomfortable with. Just as he was about to try and alert them, the other person chose to respond. "We'll know tomorrow whether the eyes have taken properly or not," He finally replied. And that was the moment when Naruto finally realized whose eyes they were talking about. And suddenly, he understood the meaning of the phrase ignorance is bliss.

AN The 2nd: I personally am of the camp that believes Naruto needs no special powers nor bloodlines, but only a few choice words and a little attention, to become truly powerful. However, I kind of wanted to mix ideas and themes here. I am really, really tempted to make this a Sharingan Naruto- Itachi blinded him, the Hokage insisted that they had to replace the eyes somehow, and they had a whole new batch of dead bodies lying around that just happened to possess a legendary doujutsu- no other choices in the matter. Not for the powers really, but just any Sharingan Naruto's I've read have never really dealt with the emotional aspect of it like this. Or if they have, I think there might have actually been one or two, I just wasn't really… satisfied, I guess. Maybe I'm just picky. I don't know yet. But when I continue this, I will. If you feel particularly about it one way or the other, feel free to drop me a review or PM. Thank you to all, and to all a good night.


End file.
